High paying production jobs in Rochester, NY with no degree

The best paid production occupations in Rochester, NY that require no bachelor's degree — a high school diploma, a certificate, or an associate's degree is the typical entry. This is the narrowest cut on the site, so it is also the shortest list: where a field has only two or three such occupations, there is no page at all rather than a page pretending otherwise.

Cost of living: prices in Rochester, NY run 3.0% below the national average (2024), so a Rochester, NY salary is worth about 1.03× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find production jobs in Rochester, NY

OccupationMedian, Rochester, NY · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$75,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,810 – $104,6002,230
2Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators$71,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$54,850 – $88,040200
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$66,650
Postsecondary nondegree award
$53,330 – $89,700220
4Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$62,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,060 – $81,460360
5Tool and Die Makers$60,820
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,960 – $86,600280
6Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$57,130
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,800 – $70,520650
7Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$55,700
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,310 – $57,600550
8Machinists$55,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,800 – $75,3601,940
9Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,650 – $69,110230
10Dental Laboratory Technicians$50,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,030 – $76,120160
11Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,220 – $63,490300
12Prepress Technicians and Workers$50,320
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,780 – $62,870160
13Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,530 – $63,890230
14Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$49,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,060 – $63,670940
15Food Batchmakers$49,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,050 – $62,440790
16Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,080 – $69,680240
17Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,350 – $59,290210
18Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,920 – $65,960270
19Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,370
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,100 – $64,9002,350
20Printing Press Operators$47,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,660 – $66,050740
21Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,680 – $59,500390
22Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,450 – $60,000390
23Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$46,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,920 – $71,200610
24Butchers and Meat Cutters$45,450
No formal educational credential
$35,210 – $59,790250
25Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians$45,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,460 – $48,200490
26Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,730 – $57,390330
27Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,220 – $60,2602,070
28Helpers--Production Workers$43,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,070 – $59,660500
29Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,220 – $59,5401,780
30Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$43,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,700 – $58,2003,920
31Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$41,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,070 – $58,420920
32Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$38,440
No formal educational credential
$32,740 – $51,750180
33Production Workers, All Other$36,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,560 – $69,510440
34Bakers$36,080
No formal educational credential
$32,240 – $49,450740
35Sewing Machine Operators$35,930
No formal educational credential
$32,240 – $45,800400
36Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$33,580
No formal educational credential
$32,240 – $41,490500

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianRochester, NY	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$75,460	$49,810 – $104,600	2,230
2	Stationary Engineers and Boiler OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$71,490	$54,850 – $88,040	200
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$66,650	$53,330 – $89,700	220
4	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,950	$47,060 – $81,460	360
5	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,820	$47,960 – $86,600	280
6	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,130	$38,800 – $70,520	650
7	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,700	$37,310 – $57,600	550
8	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,560	$38,800 – $75,360	1,940
9	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,800	$38,650 – $69,110	230
10	Dental Laboratory TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,880	$40,030 – $76,120	160
11	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,780	$40,220 – $63,490	300
12	Prepress Technicians and WorkersPostsecondary nondegree award	$50,320	$36,780 – $62,870	160
13	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,850	$37,530 – $63,890	230
14	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,230	$39,060 – $63,670	940
15	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,180	$34,050 – $62,440	790
16	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,020	$35,080 – $69,680	240
17	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,940	$35,350 – $59,290	210
18	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,420	$32,920 – $65,960	270
19	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,370	$35,100 – $64,900	2,350
20	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,720	$35,660 – $66,050	740
21	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,990	$36,680 – $59,500	390
22	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,580	$35,450 – $60,000	390
23	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,270	$35,920 – $71,200	610
24	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$45,450	$35,210 – $59,790	250
25	Ophthalmic Laboratory TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,420	$39,460 – $48,200	490
26	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,110	$36,730 – $57,390	330
27	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,010	$37,220 – $60,260	2,070
28	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,820	$36,070 – $59,660	500
29	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,780	$33,220 – $59,540	1,780
30	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,090	$33,700 – $58,200	3,920
31	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,790	$34,070 – $58,420	920
32	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$38,440	$32,740 – $51,750	180
33	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,480	$32,560 – $69,510	440
34	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,080	$32,240 – $49,450	740
35	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$35,930	$32,240 – $45,800	400
36	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$33,580	$32,240 – $41,490	500

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Rochester, NY. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Rochester, NY to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Rochester, NY with no degree

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